Washing-machine.



No. 728,587. I PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

9. H. LARSON.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 24, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- WITNESSES: f INVENTOH, M Uzi/ lamina B Y 25 m Q ATTORNEYS.

T e 0 Rs EYERS co. FHOYO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D. c:v

PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

O. H. LARSON WASHING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED APB. 24, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOI? 0ia zclanmn/ UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1903.

OLE I-I. LARSON, OF FORT DODGE, IOWA.

WASHlNG-VIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 728,587, dated May 19, 1903.

Application filed April 24, 1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLE H. LARsoN,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fort Dodge, in the county of Webster and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful features of Improvement in Washing-Machines, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relatesto washing-machines of the roller-and-bed type, and has for its object to provideawashing-machine of the class indicated with novel details of construction and combinations thereof,which afford a very light-running machine that is highly-efficient in operation, washing fabric of any kind thoroughly and in an expeditious manner.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a sectional view substantially on the line 1 1 in Fig. 4. Fig. 2 is a reduced transverse sectional view substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view of the hub-plate and beater-wings seen in the direction of the arrow x in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a partly-sectional plan view substantially on the line 4 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a reduced plan view of the washing-machine, and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 6 6 in Fig. 5.

In the drawings, 6 indicates a sudstub, which is the receptacle for material to be washed, the washing liquid, and the operative mechanism that embodies the details of the invention, said tub being formed of Wood, metal, or other available material.

A preferably-hinged cover 7 is placed upon the otherwise open top of the tub, and near the center of said cover two nearly similar bracket-standards 8 8 are mounted and secured by bolts a, said standards being spaced apart sufficiently to aiford support for the rockable shaft 9, that. is journaled in the upper portions of the standard.

Serial No. 104,511. (No model.)

standard 8, is located near its lower end in an opening in the cover 7, as will presently be explained. In the sleeve 10 a cylindrical hanger-shaft 11 is held to slide and is adjusted vertically by a nut 12, which seats upon the arm 12 of the bracket-standard 8", said nut engaging an elongated screw-thread cut on the shaft 11.

Upon the transverse shaft 9, that is journaled at its ends in opposite perforations of the bracket-standards 8 8 and thus disposed in a horizontal plane, a mutilated bevel-gear 9 is mounted and secured and whereon a socket b projects outward from its edge, alever 9 having one end thereof secured in this socket. V p

Above and near to the cover 7 a bevel-gear 11 is secured upon the sleeve 10, and said gear meshes with the gear 9 so that the vibration of the lever 9 willcorrespondingly rock the gear 9, which will rotatably move the bevel-gear 11 and sleeve 10 alternately in opposite directions. A yoke 13 is secured upon the lower portion of the sleeve 10, and preferably a washer c is mounted on the sleeve and serves to space the yoke from the lower side of the cover 7.

Upon the lower end of the hanger-shaft 11, a preferably-circular hub-plate 14 is centrally secured by the engagement of an angular head cl, formedor secured on the end of said shaft within' a socket in the lower side of the hub-plate, this socket being a countersunk depression formed around a central orifice through which the hanger-shaft 11 passes.

The yoke 13 comprises a central hub that is mounted on the sleeve 10, as before mentioned, and from said hub two similar arms -project oppositely, which arms near their outer ends receive and firmly support the bars 1 5, that depend therefrom in parallel planes, these bars having sufficient length to pass down through opposite perforations in the hub-plate 14. At opposite points on the hub-plate 14: axles 16 have one end of each secured, so that the axles project from the hub-plate in the same plane, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Two similar bucketwheels are mounted loosely upon the axles l6 and are spaced from the hub-plateM by washers e, the wheels being held in place upon the axles, preferably,

by means of washers e and split keys g, the latter passing through transverse perforations in the axles 16 near their outer ends. The bucket-wheels are each formed of a central hub perforated to receive one of the axles 16 and end walls 17, affixed upon the central hub and spaced apart by the buckets 17,that are radially arranged and evenly spaced, the buckets being affixed to the center hub and end walls of each bucket-wheel. At suitable points on the hubplate 14, preferably at equal distances from the hanger-shaft 11, two

journal studs 18 are projected vertically downward therefrom, and equally distant from the journal-studs 18 two similar journal-studs 19 extend downwardly from the hub-plate, the last-named journal-studs being arranged in the same plane with the axle 16, as indicated in Fig. 4.

Upon thejournal-studs 18 two beater-Wings 20 are respectively pivoted by one end of each, these wings being held upon the studs by a washer-plate h and a nut h on the lower end of each stud. ject about an equal distance beyond the edge of the hub-plate 14 and are checked from having contact with the bucket-wheels by impinging upon the driving-shafts 15 when moved in one direction and by the abutmentpins 21 when moved in an opposite direction, said abutment-pins being studs projected downward from the hub-plate 14.

Upon the journal-studs 19 two beater-wings 22 are pivoted at the inner ends of the wings. These wings may dilfer in length from each other; but both are preferably of less length than that of the beater-wings 20. As indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the beater-wings are checked in their degree of vibration laterally by impinging upon the abutment-pins 21 in one direction of travel and upon the depending bars 15 when rocked in an opposite direction, their length being so proportioned that they may pass the bucket-wheels at their inner ends. As shown best in Fig. 3, the beater-wings 22 are held upon the pendent journal-studs 19 by the washer-plate h, which being circular and of sufficient diameter affords a base-support for all the beater-wings.

It will be seerrthat the hanger-shaft 11 may be manually raised by taking hold of the knob 71, secured upon the upper end of the shaft for such purpose, and also that the screwed adjustment of the nut 12 higher or lower will impose more or less of the weight of the mechanism hung on the shaft 11 upon material that has been placed in the tub 6 for renovation. Preferably but little pressure is given by the wheels and wings on the material to be washed, the washing being effected by the agitation of the suds-water and the downward forcing of air through the fabric operated upon in the tub 6.

In operation,assuming that fabricsuch as body-clothing, for example-has been placed in the tub 6 and a suitable detergent liquid along with said material, which may be read- The beater-wings 20 pro-,

ily effected if the cover 7 is rocked upon its hinged connection with the tub, so as to remove the shaft 11 and the parts hung thereon from the tub, the act of replacing the cover 7 will carry the bucket-wheels and hub-plate down into the tub and seat the beater-wings and bucket-wheels lightly upon the garments, submerging the fabrics in the suds liquid, which is water having soap or other detergent dissolved in it. The sleeve and depending bars may now be actuated by the vibration of the lever 9", the said bars 15 aiding to oscillate the hub 14 and communicate a like movement to the bucket-wheels. It will be evident that as there is a series of airholding pockets 1% formed on each wheel by the junction of the radial buckets 17 at their ends with the end walls 17 of each wheel these pockets necessarily carry air down into the fabric upon which the wheels roll, and as the fabric engaged by the bucket-wheels rises between the buckets 17 the air is expelled downwardly and tends to agitate the washwater, so as to create a foamy suds that is driven by action of the bucket-wheels through the fibrous material operated upon, thoroughly removing dirt and stains therefrom. The beater-wings and 22 press lightly upon the clothes or other fabric that is being washed and remain stationary for a short period of time while the bucket-wheels are moving; but when the beater-wings have alternate engagement with the driving-shafts 15 and the abutment-pins 21 they receive rocking motion therefrom, which motion shifts the clothing, crowding it outward and coacting with the bucket-wheels to renovate the material.

Obviously the articles undergoing the washing operation may be turned over and otherwise changed in position by removal of the washing mechanism from the tub, as before explained, which may be necessary when large pieces of material are to be cleansed.

It is claimed for this washing-machine that the novel construction of the bucket-wheels providing airholding pockets thereon is very advantageous, as they, with the beaterwings, greatly lighten the labor of operating the machine and accomplish excellent results in a very short time.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a receptacle having a movable cover, of a hanger-shaft held to slide vertically through the cover, a hubplate movable with the hanger-shaft, means for turning the hub-plate, a bucket-wheel rotatably supported at one side of the hubplate, and a beaterwing held to rock on the lower side of the hub-plate.

2. The combination with a receptacle having a movable cover, of a hanger-shaft held to slide vertically through the cover and in the receptacle, a hub-plate secured to the lower end of the hanger-shaft, means for oscillating the hub-plate, opposite axles projected laterally from the hub-plate, bucketwheels rotatable on said axles, and two sets of beater-wings held to rock laterally on the lower side of the hub-plate the wings of one set being longer than the wings of the other set.

3. The combination with a receptacle and its cover, of a sleeve mounted to turn, means for oscillating the sleeve, a hub-plate in the receptacle, bucketwheels mounted on the hub-plate, beater-wings pivoted to the said hub-plate, a verticallyadjustable hangershaft secured to the hub-plate, and means for imparting the movement of the sleeve to the hub-plate, as set forth.

4. The combination with a receptacle, and a hinged cover thereon, of a hanger-shaft held to slide vertically through the cover and in the receptacle, a yoke-piece below the cover and through which the hanger-shaft passes, two bars pendent from the yoke-piece, a hubplate held on the lower end of the hangershaft and perforated to receive the said bars, gearing for oscillating the yoke, a pair of rotatable bucket-wheels carried by the hubplate, and a plurality of beater-wings held to rock on the lower side of the hub-plate.

5. The combination with a receptacle, and a cover on the receptacle, of a vertically slidable and adjustable hangershaft passing through the cover into the receptacle, a sleeve through which the hanger-shaft passes, means for alternately turning the sleeve in opposite directions, a yoke-piece secured to the sleeve below the cover and through which the hanger-shaft passes, two bars pendent from the yoke-piece, a hub-plate held on the lower end of the hanger-shaft and perforated to re ceive the said pendent bars, two axles radially projected from the hub-plate, bucketwheels loosely secured upon the axles, journal-studs projected downward from the hubplate, and beater-wings held to rock laterally on the journal-shafts.

mounted upon the cover, one of which is provided with an apertured flange, a sleeve mounted in the flange of the bracket and projecting through the cover, means for alternately turning the sleeve in opposite directions, a yoke secured to the lower end of the sleeve within the receptacle, bars projecting downward from'said yoke, a hub-plate carrying boaters and bucket-wheels and slidable on said bars, and a hanger-shaft extending through the sleeve and yoke and having its lower end secured to the hub-plate, the upper end of the hanger-shaft being screwthreaded, and provided with a nut resting on the flange of the bracket.

7 In a washing-machine, the combination with a receptacle, and an oscillating support therein, of bucket-wheels carried by the sup-- port at opposite sides of the same, and beaterwings pivoted to the under side of the support, as set forth.

8. In a washing-machine, the combination with areceptacle, and an oscillating hub-plate therein, of axles radially projected from opposite sides of the hub-plate, bucket-Wheels loosely mounted on the axles, and sets of beater-wings pivoted to the under side of the hub-plate, the wings of one set being longer than the wings of the other set, as set forth.

9. The combination with a receptacle, of a vertically-adj ustable support in the receptacle, means for oscillating the support, bucketwheels carried by the support, at opposite sides thereof, and beater-wings on the under side of the support, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OLE H. LARSON.

Witnesses:

M. F. HEALY,- THos. D. HEALY. 

